Day on the Hill

Published by slangseth on Monday, March 17th, 2014

Main Article Image:

SHAKOPEE, Minn. (March 17) -- While corn farmers wait for the last of the snow to melt before spring planting, they went to St. Paul to meet with legislators during the Minnesota Corn Growers Association’s “Day on the Hill” Thursday, March 13 at the State Capitol.

“It’s important that corn farmers connect with as many legislators as possible, even if they might not agree with our stance on every issue,” said John Mages, who farms in Belgrade and chairs MCGA’s government relations committee. “Corn farmers need to make their voices heard. Agriculture is a major job creator and a key part of Minnesota’s economy. We need to make sure our legislators understand the impact corn farming makes in their home districts, and throughout the entire state.”

Corn farmers met with over 50 legislators and focused on the following issues:

• Repealing new taxes on farm machinery repair and warehouse storage from the last legislative session • Supporting renewable energy like homegrown ethanol and biodiesel • Ensuring that farmers are at the table for discussions on environmental policy and regulations • MCGA’s efforts to work with corn farmers to preserve existing and create new habitat for bees.

With almost 7,000 members, MCGA works to identify and promote opportunities for corn farmers while enhancing quality of life. To learn more about MCGA, visit www.mncorn.org, or follow @mncorn on Twitter.

Coming up Tuesday, March 18th, the Minnesota Farms Union and Minnesota Farm Bureau also take to the Capitol to discuss legislative issues for the upcoming year. Stay tuned for more!